UNLIREC assists Antigua and Barbuda with destruction of seized and obsolete weapons and ammunition

From 22 to 26 April 2013, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in close collaboration with the Police and Defence Force of Antigua and Barbuda, supported the destruction of close to 400 seized and obsolete weapons and one tonne of small arms ammunition and time-expired CS gas. All weapons and ammunition destroyed were documented in accordance with UNLIREC’s standard operating procedures. UNLIREC also provided training on firearms and ammunition destruction techniques to fourteen law enforcement officials with a view to permanently installing technical and human resource capacity to engage in independent destructions.

Close to 400 small arms and one tonne of small arms ammunition were destroyed in Antigua and Barbuda

All small arms were destroyed using a set of hydraulic shears provided by UNLIREC to the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda, while the ammunition was burned using the UNLIREC-patented Small Arms Ammunition Burning Tank (SAABT).

All UNLIREC destruction assistance to Antigua and Barbuda forms part of a wider UNLIREC programme for firearms destruction and stockpile management support to Caribbean States aimed at combating illicit trafficking by reducing the risk of theft and diversion from government holdings of firearms, ammunition and explosives.

UNLIREC also undertook a baseline assessment of the country’s capacity to destroy weapons and manage stockpiles, which served as an essential step towards the formulation of the country’s national plan of action in this area. Forty international standard padlocks were also provided by UNLIREC – under the umbrella of the same Caribbean Assistance Package – to enhance levels of storage and security at key government stockpiles.

The activities carried out were made possible thanks to the financial support of the Government of the United States of America.

UNLIREC serves 33 countries in the region in assisting them in the development of disarmament policies and the implementation of international disarmament instruments, most notably the UN 2001 Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons.